The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-24
A BLooDrHIRsrY LAWYER.

A BLOODTHIRsTY LAWYER.
Ira Shafer's Savage Decentralization of the New
York World and Its Editor.
PROCEEDINGS in the Cleary Trial.
At this important juncture Mr.. Shafer
seemed to brighten up First he strobe rapidly
up and down in front of the jury box and glared
at Juror Hawes in such wav that that fright
eEed gentleman wished himself dead Then he
leaped into the air with a whoop, and descending
smote the railing with such violence that Juror
Shiel turned blue, and Juror Bachman was
goose1eshed from head to foot.
There isn't paper, said Mr.. Shafer. in tones
of unmistakable war: there isn't PAPER.
with the exception of ONE. or perhaps TWO.
that hasn't CLAMORED for the conviction of
this DEFENDANT"
Then he dropped into history:
when l was district attorney Of Albany
county the Albany Evening Journal came out
one evening with demand that man trial
should be CONVICTED. And the next morning
the Judge sent the case to another COUN-
TY. Why. Great God! The articles in the
NEWSPAPERS against CIEARY would make
pile MOUNTAINS high! He is tried by the
NEWSPAPERS, and he is WEAK MAN who,
counsel, does not dare to say SO! Yousbave
been more impressed by the newspapers than
you have by the evidence and you KNOW
it. Here is a counsel who has tried to do his
duty by his client who has been spoken of in
such way in paper to destroy HIS
USEFULNESS, and these newspapers are
waiting to applaud your verdict sending this
man to the STATE PRISON! l am telling You
the HONEST TRUTH! and you KNOW it! and
he who would shrink from telling you this would
be KYOWARD! Terrific thump, at which
Juror Kahn turned blue learn that there are
two of the jurors here who were on the jury
that convicted Crowley (Thump.) Why, that
case of Crowley was prepared and tried by THE
WORLD. The course of that sheet has been
perfectly INFAMOUS, because of its denuncia-
ton of men on trial in this city! It's representa-.
tive is here now, prepared to CAR1CATURE
ME- Me. who am simply doing my best for my
CLIENT'
Here Mr.. Shafer administered thump of
such power that three jurors suffered injuries
from the conclusion. He continued:
THAT man who rules that paper lie attempting
to rule this city with iron ROD! he is ker-
rushing it with iron HEEL!!!"
Here he ground his own heel. and ground his
teeth simultaneously. making churning noise
which smote Crier Ricketts, with catalepsy
Then he remarked:
IVA ah waitiileye MEATUM!! Tll-Tll- Men
come to me and say: 'Shafer, why doncher
SHOOTUM2 Why doncher cowhideuml Why
doncher'-here he jumped into the AFRO. I'll
I'll"
Here Judge Barrett inrerfered to stop the tor
rent by quietly suggesting: ~ think you are
going too far. Mr. Shafer. ! want to say that
not single newspaper has been submitted to
this jury since the commencement of this case.
and you talking Of something thev know
nothing about"
why, sir" Mr. Shafer again broke ont "ths
very paper, THE WORLD
sWell, this jury never saw it, whatever it
was" said the Judge.
II think they DID," said the counsel, mopping
the sweat from his face
Il know they did not quietly returned the
Judge.
"Well. bow with all respect to your Honor.
but from Saturday night until arrived at this
courtroom this morning there was one uni
versal shout among all that met of derison
that any man should place any reliance on the
evidence of Katie Metz. Yet, notwithstanding
all this, there is not a single paper in New York
every single paper in New York except one
has come OUT with flaming headlines: KATIE
METZ SUSTAINED THE EVIDENCE OF KATIE
METZ Nor OvERTHRowN.'
This little episode gave rise to a suspicion that
perhaps Mr.. Shafer had some personal feeling
against the serpent reporter who had written
the calm description of the trial for the Sunday
World. and against the reptile artist who had
embelished the same with spirited and effective
etchings This impression deepened when Mr.
Shafer softly approached the coop where the
ghoulish scribblers were writhing. and. with
comprehensive wave of the right hand and play
of irony like that of heat lightning in an August
sky. remarked:
There! LOCKER them-looker the burning
jeeny uses of the press!'
The burning geniuses acknowledged the COM
artist were in quite different part of the room,
but Mr. Sbafer did not know it.
| LOCKER them" he Numbered.
Every body looked.
There isn't ONE of EN-" he continued, "there
| isn't ONE of 'em whom Won would have in your
house-except that fat man, Here everyb DIV
/ except the fat man grinned while in their dis
| tant box the serpent and the reptile were CON
| vulsed with a secret and devilish Joy.
| Having thus restored the entente cordiale be-
/ tween himself and the members of the press, Mr..
Shafer continued:
There they are. locker them and that's the
way they spoke of that girl, who did not even
| remember the name OF the German family that
| she lived with for year. and vet pretends to
| remember the face of whom she never
| saw nearer than twenty feet A juror very
| properly inquired whether she could speak En-
glish two years after she arrived in this country
| but she said she remembered no names; and you
| will remember that this was a German family
| that she was living with. with whose language
| she was perfectly familiar, What would yor
| think of Mr.. Comstoek" (pointing to the Juror OF
| that name) "of being sent to State prison on the
| bare recollection of girl that she recognized
| your face when you had been nearer TO hel
| than twenty feet and that over two years ago
| when she could not even recollect the first name
| of family with whom she had lived for over
| year,"
| Mr. Comstock gravely considered the connun
drum and gave it up Mr. Shafer continued:
She could describe the light eyes and tn
dark ones. Her mind was not prepared for that
Little did she think"-here he raised himself o,
tiptoe-"Little did she think I would take he
off there You let her walk along in the rout
carved out and prepared for her by this venom
Gus WORLD and she is all right; but the momen
she is made to rely upon her own wit she i
gone. Now, what is the next? Robinson-yo
must keep in mind those dates-after the Nc
Quade jury disagrees. They were astonished a
that They thought they had bagged thei
game then the head of the district attorney
Office and the little men of the office, Mr.. Nicol
and with a Characterization bow towards MI
Semple)--No-I don't think Semple was in it.
Yes was. said that gentleman.